The present disclosure relates generally to techniques for forming cells to be used in electrolyzer stacks. More specifically, techniques for forming cells using plastic forming techniques are disclosed.
Electrochemical devices are useful in chemical reactions in which electrons may participate as reactants or products. For example, an electrolytic cell may use electrical energy to split lower energy reactants into higher energy products, which may then be used as materials, reactants, or in power generation. In another example, voltaic cells and fuel cells may be used to chemically combine higher energy products to form lower energy products, releasing electrons that may be used to power other devices. While in voltaic cells, the electrode may be consumed during the reaction, in a number of other electrochemical devices, such as electrolytic cells and fuel cells, the electrode is not intended to be a reactant, but merely to catalyze the reaction and collect or donate the current from the reaction.
Electrolytic cells may be useful in a number of processes, such as the splitting of water into oxygen and hydrogen in an electrolyzer. The hydrogen generated may be used in chemical processes, such as hydroformulation or hydrocracking in refineries, or may be stored for later use, such as in the generation of energy in a fuel cell. Electrolyzers may be assembled from a stack of individual plastic components that are joined together to form a contiguous structure, generally by adhesives or welding.
Generally, making the individual components from plastics is desirable, as plastics are both easily formed and insulating. Currently, such cells may be made by or machining individual components than assembling these components into larger units. However, as electrolyzers become larger, such techniques may be problematic. Accordingly, simpler techniques for forming the electrolyzer components would be desirable.